Canada’s Presence at the Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, which commenced on Thursday and concludes on August 2, features a Canadian contingent of 149 athletes. This edition of the Games, the 23rd, includes a reduced sports program compared to previous years. Approximately 3,000 athletes from 74 countries and territories are participating.
Glasgow stepped in to host after Australia’s Victoria state withdrew in 2023 due to escalating costs. The current Games schedule has been streamlined from 19 sports in Birmingham four years ago to 10 sports. These include athletics, swimming, boxing, judo, artistic gymnastics, track cycling, netball, weightlifting, bowls, and three-on-three basketball. Six of these sports also feature a para sport counterpart, making it the largest para sport program in the Games’ history.
Erica Wiebe, Canada’s chef de mission and an Olympic champion wrestler, highlighted the importance of the Games for athlete development. She noted that many athletes have achieved success at the Commonwealth Games, which has often led to further success at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Key Canadian Athletes and Events
Among the prominent Canadian athletes competing is lawn bowls veteran Ryan Bester. He is participating in his seventh Commonwealth Games, a Canadian record. Bester, a native of Hanover, Ontario, moved to Australia 20 years ago to pursue his sport. He will be in action on the opening day, facing India before joining wheelchair basketball player Kady Dandeneau in leading Canada into the opening ceremony. Dandeneau will serve as Canada’s flag-bearer, while Bester carries the team baton.
Bester has a notable history at the Games, having won silver medals in men’s singles in both 2014 and 2018, along with a bronze in 2006. He is also the reigning world champion, having defeated Ireland’s Gary Kelly in 2023. The bowls competition in Glasgow will feature a new format, being held indoors on an artificial surface, with shortened game times. This change is part of an effort to include bowls in the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane.
Canada also has a strong medal prospect in women’s singles lawn bowls with Kelly McKerihen, who was runner-up at the 2023 worlds and secured bronze in 2012 and 2016. McKerihen, a Toronto native, is competing in her fourth Commonwealth Games. Bester and McKerihen will also participate in pairs play, teaming up with John Bezear and Emma Boyd, respectively.
The Canadian team includes a strong athletics squad with 25 Olympians. This group features sprinters Andre De Grasse, Aaron Brown, Brendon Rodney, and Jerome Blake, decathlete Damian Warner, hammer throwers Camryn Rogers and Ethan Katzberg, and shot putter Sarah Mitton. Olympic medallists Kylie Masse and Josh Liendo are representing Canada in swimming, while Olympic champion weightlifter Maude Charron is also competing.
Ellie Black, a four-time Olympic gymnast from Halifax, views the Glasgow Games as a crucial step towards her fifth Olympic appearance in Los Angeles in 2028. She sees it as an opportunity to compete in a multi-sport environment without the intense pressure of the Olympic Games. Similarly, Masse, the reigning Commonwealth champion in the 50-metre backstroke, considers these Games a necessary reset before the demanding period leading up to the Los Angeles Olympics.
The Evolving Nature of the Games
The Commonwealth Games in Glasgow features 215 medal events, a reduction from the 280 contested in Birmingham. Claire Carver-Dias, president of Commonwealth Sport Canada, noted that this new model aims to demonstrate that smaller, smarter, and more sustainable events can still deliver world-class sport and a lasting legacy. This approach is seen as a pilot for future iterations of the Games, which may not return to their previous large scale.
Canada has consistently performed well at the Games, historically ranking third in the overall medal count behind Australia and England. In 2022, Canadian athletes secured 92 medals, comprising 26 gold, 32 silver, and 34 bronze. Canada has participated in every Commonwealth Games since hosting the inaugural event in Hamilton in 1930.
The Games will continue until August 2.
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Source: theglobeandmail.com
As CasinoNews's Sports News Writer, Mason Leclair reports on the CFL, golf and combat sports for readers across the country. He moved from regional papers into digital sport. He holds a degree in Journalism from Carleton University. Mason lives in Ottawa, where he follows the PGA Tour and mixed martial arts. “Get the facts down first, then add the context.”
